From the Fundamental Beliefs section on the official Seventh-day Adventist website Official SDA Website:
24. Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary:
There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent. (Heb. 8:1-5; 4:14-16; 9:11-28; 10:19-22; 1:3; 2:16, 17; Dan. 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6; Lev. 16; Rev. 14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:12.)
When I was an Adventist we were taught that in 1844, as mentioned above, Jesus moved into The Holy of Holies behind the veil, from the Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary.
A couple of questions:
1. Do Adventists still believe that Jesus moved, in the heavenly sanctuary, into The Holy of Holies, from the Holy Place, in 1844 at the end of the 2300 day prophetic period?
2. If so, which I believe they do, how do they explain the following assertion of the apostle Paul in the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 6:19 This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
It seems that Paul wrote this quite a few years, hundreds of years...over a thousand years, before 1844, and either Paul was confused or lying, or the Adventists' sanctuary teaching is in error, and completly falls apart.
Who is correct? Paul and the Holy Scriptures...or the SDA denomination?
God bless all!!!
Hi Mike, It always upset me that adventist would buy into this doctrine;He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement.
ReplyDeleteWhat gave them the authority to assume all that moving around in Heaven?
Nature.B
Hi Nature B.!
ReplyDeleteThey claim that the sacred scriptures give them that "authority". However, I still wait for them to explain what to do with the scriptures and the testimony of Jesus which conflict with their "clear Biblical beliefs".
God bless all!!!
Maybe Paul was prophesying of 1844? Just kidding.
ReplyDelete